Celebrating All Saints Day

Its All Saints Day again, and as usual Filipinos flocked the cemetery around the Philippines. Of coarse we will not be left behind, we prepare all the things we need and leave before lunch time. We already moved to another town that is why we need to drive for an hour before we can reach the cemetery where my father is buried. This also our chance to visit our relatives we rarely see since we moved to our new residence. We have our lunch at my mother in law's house, have a little talk for few minutes and then head to the cemetery where my father is buried.

Usual scene welcomed us in the cemetery. People were chit chatting, eating and lighting candles. It is midday that is why we wear a hat to protect us to the scorching heat of the sun. It is an old cemetery that is why it is already jam packed and the heat being emitted by the lighted candles contributed to the already hot temperature. The front of the tomb of my father is already occupied, that makes me feel that no more air coming on our location, you cannot also see any green in the surrounding, and all you can see is concrete and steel.


Cemeteries in the Philippines is almost made of concrete, this is the reason why the heat from the sun is being absorbed instead of being reflected back to outer space. The dead is not being buried in the ground but rather being inserted in a rectangular concreted tomb above the ground. And usually they put a roof which usually made of concrete or galvanized iron. And the surrounding lot is also paved to avoid muddy surrounding.


These scene force me to think again the environment, that the current setup of the cemetery in the Philippines is not environment friendly and make me wish that all future cemeteries that will be built, will have an environment friendly setup and people will change a little on the way they celebrate all saints day, like offering flower instead of lighting candles. The way I see it, millions of candles were lighted all over the Philippines, imagine how much greenhouse gases were added to our atmosphere.

We haven't consumed yet an hour staying there, but my kids already asked me if we can already leave. I didn't ask them the reason why, I'm sure they are not enjoying the place because of the heat and not appealing surrounding. It is sad that we need to leave early because we are not comfortable of the place and we are cutting short the honoring of our deceased relatives.


I just hope that someday all future cemeteries that will be built will have an environment friendly setup. A cemetery that look like a park, wherein the ground is cover with grass, only the headstone is appearing and there is lot of tree that will cover us from the sun. So that when my turn comes, my kids will stay there for a long time comfortably and of course I want them to celebrate it without harming the environment.